At Homebush Bay, Ashes may be played

HOMEBUSH BAY could host the next Sydney Ashes Test in 2011, with Cricket NSW exploring the avenue of moving internationals away from the SCG unless it can strike a better deal with the ground's management.
The revelation will shock purists and it would take some poor negotiating by the SCG Trust to lose the pinnacle cricket event on Sydney's sporting calendar. The ANZ Stadium Trust earlier said it was not interested in hosting Test matches, but the money generated by an Ashes Test can no longer be ignored by its accountants.
Still, the SCG Trust retains the upper hand and when negotiations for hosting rights beyond next year begin shortly it will be keen to iron out disputes before Homebush's ANZ Stadium can swoop in to snatch the Ashes away.
The rights for international matches were negotiated in 2004 and expire at the end of next year. The first match of 2011 will be the Sydney Ashes Test.
Australian opener and NSW captain Simon Katich says the main concern playing Tests at ANZ Stadium is the wicket, but his experiences there for the Blues have been positive.
''It would be a huge surprise if Test cricket, or even four day shield cricket, was moved from the SCG because it's the home, the traditional venue and a great place to play,'' he said.
''In saying that, we've played a lot of one day cricket out at ANZ Stadium … the game is always developing and changing, who knows where it could head now with where we play, but it would be a shock if we moved from the SCG.
''I think the only issue might be that the wicket at ANZ is a drop-in wicket and people are always worried about losing the characteristics of all the five different [Ashes Test] venues in Australia. That would be an issue, but in terms of attendances out there, we obviously get great crowds for the Blues and being a big stadium who knows what a Test match could draw out there?
''I'm not sure which way negotiations will go but it's an interesting time for where the game could be headed, for Test cricket in particular.''
Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert said while the SCG was his favourite venue, he was keen to deliver a deal that best rewards the game and his organisation.
It's understood there would have to be leeway on part of the SCG Trust in any new deal, which would benefit Cricket NSW financially.
An ANZ Stadium spokesman said: ''Our focus is on Twenty20 and ODI because these forms of the game have a natural fit with the stadium as major events. In relation to Test cricket, that's up to Cricket NSW. We're happy to explore the opportunities as they arise.''
SCG Trust chief executive Jamie Barclay said: ''There have been no discussions with Cricket NSW at the present time, this whole thing was determined in 2004. We look forward to sitting down and discussing it all very soon.''

Vaughan urges Strauss to take a break before challenging for the Ashes

MICHAEL VAUGHAN believes captain Andrew Strauss should be rested for the tour of Bangladesh to give England the best possible opportunity of retaining the Ashes in Australia.
Strauss flew out with his squad at the weekend for a tough tour of South Africa which follows hot on the heels of a gruelling summer schedule, which included a World Twenty 20 tournament and the Champions Trophy on top of England's Ashes victory. After two 20 over and five 50 over internationals against the Proteas, as well as four Tests, England move next onto Bangladesh before another busy summer leads up to a trip to Australia.Strauss and coach Andy Flower were not slow to rest overworked players this summer giving the likes of James Anderson and Paul Collingwood a break during the one-day series against Ricky Ponting's men. And Vaughan, who skippered England to Ashes success in 2005, believes Strauss must take time away himself to ensure he is mentally ready for the challenges ahead."I think he should be rested," Vaughan said. "You've got to look at the bigger picture. The guys are playing far too much."It's not the actual playing side, it's the mental side of being away and constantly being in a cricket environment."So just taking Straussy out for a three-week break will regenerate his energy levels going into next summer and we have to have all our players fit and firing for next winter which is the big one – the Ashes."However, resting Strauss would of course bring up another major issue in who could then take over the captaincy.The abrupt departure of Kevin Pietersen from the post put into sharp focus the lack of options England have at their disposal, with Strauss seen by many as the only man in the set-up capable of taking on the role.Opener Alastair Cook is now the official vice-captain and logic would dictate that he would stand in for the Bangladesh tour should Strauss be absent. But Vaughan believes that, with the 24-year-old having struggled for form this year, the decision is not as straightforward as it may seem."That's not been decided yet," he said. "I think we're all jumping to conclusions."Cooky's under a huge amount of pressure this series to deliver. He's had a good time in the team since he came in. "He's developed a real strong respect from the rest of the players which is ultimately what you need as a captain. "But he has to deliver with runs on the board and he has to get a lot of runs in South Africa just to give himself that confidence that, if he does get the job, he's speaking from a position of strength."

Only a start Ashes win

Andrew Strauss has demanded his England side views its Ashes triumph as only a stepping stone to become the world's best team.
England arrived in South Africa on Sunday for its two-and-a-half month tour with the long term goal of replacing Graeme Smith's side at the top of the rankings.
It reclaimed the last time the Ashes in 2005 it followed it up with a 2-0 Test series defeat in Pakistan the following season.
Strauss is determined to ensure a similar scenario is avoided against South Africa and insists England's players realise challenging times lie ahead.
"We've talked a lot about how winning the Ashes is not the end of the road, it's almost the starting point for us to improve," he said.
"We'd be lying if we didn't want to be the number one side in the world.
"But if you look at how the ranking system works it will take a number of years of solid progression from where we are at the moment and consistency is crucial.
"Ultimately it's about not taking our foot off the gas.
"The perception of the post-2005 period is that we took our eye off the ball quite badly. I'm not comfortable with that myself.
"I remember that Pakistan tour and how hard we worked at it. We had a number of very crucial injuries which didn't help.
"If you look at our performances over the last 12 months we're far from the genuine article and where we want to be.
"No one in the squad truly believes we've made it, we've got a long way to go. I want to see our players hungry and committed."
England must face South Africa over four Tests without talisman Freddie Flintoff, who retired from the five-day game after the Ashes.
It is hoped all-rounder Stuart Broad will emerge as Flintoff's successor following his heroics this year, but Strauss is keen to minimise any hype surrounding the 23-year-old.
"Stuart has his head screwed on. There has been a lot of media attention on him but he realises that there's much room for him to improve," he said.
"He's excited about that and he's very keen to contribute to this team.
"We're excited about him but the last thing I want to do is put a huge amount of expectation on his shoulders.
"You must give people room to improve and hopefully he'll continue that development this winter.
"It's not a realistic expectation for Broad to fill Flintoff's shoes in both disciplines in the short term.
"It would be wrong to heap that expectation on his shoulders.
"Over the years we've had to do without Flintoff quite often and what we've found is that we've done quite well by everyone taking responsibility and playing a bit better.
"Stuart Broad is not a like-for-like replacement for Flintoff anyway but he has his own set of skills, some of which are world class and some of which need work.
"We don't want him to be the saviour we turn to, we need all 11 to do that."